Mail box



' Nov.v 20, 1923.

A. G. MAXEY MAIL BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. '7, 1.922

llllallnlliillalrlllll1| In!!! I: III k A. G. MAXEY MAIL BOX Nov. 201923 Filed Oct. '7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V A (1. M01156] 7 aktozmglPatented Nov. 20, 1923.

stars AUGUSTUS G. MAXEY, OF OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY.

MAIL BOX.

Application filed October 7, 1922.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUoUsrUs G. MAxnY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail boxes intended more particularly for useupon rural delivery routes and has for its object the provision of aninexpensive construction whereby a strong and durable box will beprovided which box will prevent the access of rain to its interior.Another object of the invention is to provide a box including means fordisplaying advertisements or other announcements. The invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fullyset forth.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of my improved mail boxshowing the same as it appears when set up for use; 7

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the box with the lid or cover in open position,and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View showing the interior of the box.

The box is constructed of sheet metal and its front wall 1, bottom 2 andback wall 3 are formed of one integral plate folded to define the saidelements. The front wall 1 is provided at about its center with a slotor opening 4, the purpose of which will presently appear and the backwall is carried to a greater height than the front wall in order thatthe lid maybe disposed in an in clined position and thereby caused tooffectually shed rain or snow. The upper edges of the front and backwalls are doubled on themselves to provide the beads or reentrantflanges 5, whereby to reinforce the structure and counteract anytendency to buckle, and the lower edges of these doubled portions arebent inwardly at a right angle, as shown at 6, a very rigid structurebeing thus attained. The end walls 7 have their lower ends and theirside edges bent inwardly at right angles to provide the flanges 8 whichfit within the open ends of the body defined by the front, bottom andback walls and are soldered or otherwise intimately united with the endsof the said front, bottom and back walls. The upper edges of Serial No.593,003.

over the upper edges of the back, front and and is constructed of asheet metal end Walls plate having its edges turned downwardly toprovide flanges l2 overhanging the several walls of the body of the boxand thereby preventing the access of water or other elements to theinterior of the box. The flange 12 at the rear edge of the cover iscutaway or notched at intervals and portions between the incisions arerolled upon themselves to form a hollow head or tube 13 adapted to alignaxially with similar members 14 soldered or otherwise secured upon theback wall 3 of the body of the box, and a hinge pin or rod 15 isinserted through the alined tubular members or sleeves so that the coverwill be hingedly connected to the box body. The free or front edge ofthe cover carries a hasp 16 which is adapted to engage over a staple 17secured in and projeotingfrom the front wall of the box and adapted toreceive a lock 18 whereby the cover will be held normally in closedposition.

Upon the inner surface of the front wall 1, I secure by soldering or anyother preferred means, a card holder 19 which is preferably constructedof sheet metal having flanges 20 formed along its bottom edge and itsend edges to be secured to the front wall 1 below and at the ends of theslot 4 in said walls. The top of the card holder is open, as shown at21, and its lower side or bottom is so formed as to present thehorizontal shoulder 22 and a second horizontal shoulder 23 which issomewhat higher than the first-mentioned shoulder. A piece of glass orother transparent material 24 is supported by the shoulder 22, asclearly shown in Fig. 2, and this plate or piece of material is ofproper dimensions to entirely cover the slot 4, while a packing 25 ofrubber or other elastic material may be inserted between the saidtransparent member and the front wall 1 of the box so as to preventrattling of the transparency and also form a weather-proof joint. Uponthe shoulder 23 of the card holder is supported a plurality of cards,indicated at 26, which may have any desired announcements upon theirfaces and each card may have inscriptions upon both faces. Either faceof any one of the cards may be placed against the glass or othertransparent material and may be easily read therethrough so that theowner of the box may in this manner make any desired announcements topassers-by. The top of the box will preferably have the legend U. S.Mail displayed thereon and the front of the box presents an amplesurface for the display of the name and other matter identifying theowner of the box. Any other desired announcements of apermanentcharacter may also be placed upon the front of the box.

In one end wall 7 is formed a slot 27 and the upper edge of this slot isrolled upon itself to provide a tubular bead or sleeve 28. A flap 29 isprovided to cover this slot and the lower edge of thesaid flap is turnedslightly outward, as shown at 80, whereby it may be easily raised whenthe carrier desires to insert mail into the box through the slot 27. Theupper edge of this flap is provided at its ends with tubular beads orsleeves 81 adapted to align axially with the sleeve or tubular bead 2S,and a hinge pin 32 is inserted through the alined beads or sleeves so asto pivotally connect the flap with the box.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a verysimple and durable box in which the mail may be easily inserted and bywhich it will be protected from the action of the weather. Simple andefiicient means are provided for displaying desired announcements andthe mail will be protected until such time as the owner sees lit toremove it so that the owner may be assured of receiving his mail evenafter a considerable absence.

While the box may be secured upon any permanent support and theparticular form of the support is of minor importance, I haveillustrated the box as resting directly upon the flat upper end of apost 33 and Secured to said post by screws 3 f inserted through thebottom of the box into the post. The back of the box is illustrated ashearing against a board or bar 35 secured to and rising from the back ofthe post 33, and a fastening screw 36 may be inserted through the backwall of the box into the said board or bar, as will be readilyunderstood. This manner of mounting the box is simple and inexpensivewhile at the same time it is'secure and will resist ordinary efforts toremove the box.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: A box.having its with a slot, a card holder consisting metal plate provided atits lower edge and at its end edges with angularly disposed webs havingmarginal flanges secured to the inner face of said front wall below andat the ends of said slot, the body portion of the plate being spacedfrom the wall of the box by the webs and the bottom web beingconstructed with stepped shoulders, a transparent plate resting upon thelower of the stepped shoulders and covering the slot in the front wallof the box and held against the inner surface of the box at the top,bottom and ends of the slot by the vertical portion of the plate betweenthe stepped shoulders, and a card resting upon the upper steppedshoulder and bearing against said transparent plate, the space betweenthe upper edge of the plate and the front wall of the front wallprovided box being entirely free and unobstructed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

AUGUSTUS G. MAXEY. [n s] of a.

